Tourists react to masked up Statue of Liberty
 
Tourists react to masked up Statue of Liberty

MGM Resorts International put a mask on the Statue of Liberty outside of the New York-New York resort to remind those on the Las Vegas Strip to wear a face covering.

Las Vegas workers line up at career center after layoffs
 
Las Vegas workers line up at career center after layoffs

Lines formed early Tuesday morning at the One Stop Career Center after school closures and layoffs in the Las Vegas tourism industry. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Tourists upset with MGM Resorts’ lack of closure notice – VIDEO
 
Tourists upset with MGM Resorts’ lack of closure notice – VIDEO

Tourists like David and Emma Walker, who are visiting from Scotland, found out about MGM Resorts’ property closures through Google, instead of the Luxor where they are currently staying. The Walkers are upset with how MGM has handled the situation by not making their customers aware of the closures first. (Cassie Soto/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

MGM Resorts last Las Vegas operator standing in Osaka bid – VIDEO
 
MGM Resorts last Las Vegas operator standing in Osaka bid – VIDEO

Japan is getting ready to issue three highly coveted gaming licenses. The country’s gaming market is estimated to be worth more than $25 billion a year once resorts open in 2025. If the estimates stand up, Japan would become the second-largest gaming market in the world behind Chinese gaming enclave Macau. MGM and at least eight other companies had been vying for the Japanese licenses. In 2019 Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd. turned their attention to other areas. Caesars Entertainment Corp. dropped out of the race altogether. MGM teamed up with Japanese financial services group Orix for its bid for a gaming license. MGM/Orix group was the only one to participate in the RFP process. “We think MGM is in a very good position in Osaka at this point” – Union Gaming analyst John DeCree (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

MGM Resorts views Las Vegas stadium as opportunity
 
MGM Resorts views Las Vegas stadium as opportunity

MGM Resorts International intends to offer tailgating experiences at its resorts before and after events at Raiders stadium. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

What is MGM 2020
 
What is MGM 2020

MGM Resorts International announced its MGM 2020 plan in January, The plan would improve cash flow by $200 million annually by the end of 2020 and an additional $100 million by the end of 2021. 1,070 jobs were cut as part of the cost-cutting initiative. 881 of those were Las Vegas employees, mostly in management or mid-management positions. Jim Murren

What is MGM 2020
 
What is MGM 2020

MGM Resorts International announced its MGM 2020 plan in January, The plan would improve cash flow by $200 million annually by the end of 2020 and an additional $100 million by the end of 2021. 1,070 jobs were cut as part of the cost-cutting initiative. 881 of those were Las Vegas employees, mostly in management or mid-management positions. Jim Murren

Bobby Baldwin to leave MGM
 
Bobby Baldwin to leave MGM

MGM Resorts International executive and professional poker player Bobby Baldwin is set to leave MGM.

MGM Resorts International opens the doors on MGM Springfield
 
MGM Resorts International opens the doors on MGM Springfield

Massachusetts’ first hotel-casino opens in downtown Springfield. The $960 million MGM Springfield has 252 rooms and 125,000-square-feet of casino. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Las Vegas shooting victims speak at press conference after MGM lawsuit
 
Las Vegas shooting victims speak at press conference after MGM lawsuit

Victims of the Las Vegas shooting gathered at the Newport Beach Marriott Bayview in California on Monday, June 23, in response to two federal lawsuits filed by MGM Resorts International in an effort to avoid liability for the events of Oct. 1. (Briana Erickson/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

MGM Resorts will use solar array to power Las Vegas casinos
 
MGM Resorts will use solar array to power Las Vegas casinos

MGM Resorts International is planning to power Las Vegas Strip casinos using solar arrays. MGM Resorts is partnering with a Chicago-based renewable developer on a new 100-megawatt photovoltaic array set to go online in 2020, about 25 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The dedicated solar array will be capable of supplying up to 90 percent of daytime demand at the company’s 13 Las Vegas casinos. The array will consist of 336,000 solar panels capable of producing enough power for about 27,000 homes. Construction is slated to start next year, and is expected to employ about 350 people during construction . All of the electricity generated by the array will go to MGM Resorts under a 20-year agreement.

MGM Resorts ready to increase resort fees
 
MGM Resorts ready to increase resort fees

MGM Resorts International plans to raise their resort fees at some properties. The timing or size of the fee increase wasn’t given, but hinted they might soon push them up to Caesars’ level. Caesars raised resort fees at their eight Las Vegas Strip properties on Feb. 1. The rise in resort and other fees, like parking, will help offset inevitably higher labor costs, executives said. MGM spokeswoman Mary Hynes says the market “has experienced recent increases, and we subsequently anticipate making adjustments in the near future.” In January, MGM announced it would increase parking fees at 11 of its 12 Strip properties.

Las Vegas hotel maids to ask for panic buttons in guest rooms
 
Las Vegas hotel maids to ask for panic buttons in guest rooms

The Culinary union will ask Las Vegas casinos and hotels to supply guest room attendants with panic buttons amid national attention to the issue of workplace sexual harassment. The proposal is part of the union’s demands as it readies for talks for 50,000 of its 57,000 employees on a five-year contract with casinos next month, said Bethany Khan, a spokeswoman for Culinary Local 226. Panic buttons would allow guest room attendants to notify security if they are in an uncomfortable or threatening situation. The union will be renegotiating contracts with Caesars, MGM Resorts International and several downtown casinos starting in mid February.

Casinos in the mix
 
Casinos in the mix

Several Las Vegas-based operators have casinos in states likely to enact legislation to regulate sports betting, according to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, assuming a favorable U.S. Supreme Court decision.

14 more lawsuits filed over mass shooting in Las Vegas
 
14 more lawsuits filed over mass shooting in Las Vegas

14 more people are seeking damages following the Oct. 1 mass shooting. The lawsuit includes people attending the Route 91 festival and at least one person working the event. According to the lawyer filing the suit, the 14 cases include a wrongful death suit and many people hurt by shrapnel or during the escape. The lawsuit was filed against MGM Resorts International, music festival organizers, and a bump stock manufacturer. One of the lawyers said even more lawsuits are likely to be filed.